Spanish Practices – Living in Spain: Real Life, Real Spain
This is our real life, in real Spain. Ten years of adventures since swapping our glorious Victorian House in leafy Essex for a tiny flat in a wild Andalusian village. I was once a Radio Producer in London, not a great one. I sacked Richard Hammond for not knowing enough about cars. Was rude to J.K. and binned her rubbish first edition new kiddies book. Told the man behind Amazon when it launched in the UK that nobody wanted to shop online for books. So I ran away to Spain with my other half and our big ginger cat...
Expect the Unexpected: The Magic Roundabouts of Spain - Driving in Spain. Real Life, Real Spain.
Driving in Spain can sometimes feel like an exercise in expecting the unexpected.
In this episode of Spanish Practices, I take a humorous look at what it's really like behind the wheel in Spain — from the mysterious art of navigating Spanish roundabouts and the sometimes flexible relationship with lane markings, arrows and indicators, to the motorbikes that seem to appear from nowhere and the ever-watchful Guardia Civil de Tráfico.
I also look at the wonderfully relaxed Spanish driving culture, why you sometimes need to anticipate what another driver is going to do rather than sim...
Building Your Dream Home in Spain: The Real Cost, Builders & Bureaucracy. - Real Life, Real Spain.
What does it really take to build your dream home in Spain?
When we bought our Spanish house in 2016, we thought we'd found paradise. A wreck of a house, yes… but with spectacular views across the Mediterranean to Morocco. What could possibly go wrong?
Quite a lot, as it turned out.
There was no electricity, no proper drainage and the house had actually moved more than two centimetres after the Spanish authorities cut into the mountainside for a new road. We had no idea about Spanish building licences, the difference between obra menor an...
Look Up! The Naughty Architecture of Spain. - Real Life - Real Spain
Look Up! The Naughty Architecture of Spain
Think Spanish architecture is all cathedrals, castles and grand Gothic buildings? Think again. Look closely — or, more accurately, look up — and Spain's historic buildings reveal a much cheekier side.
In this episode of Spanish Practices – Real Life, Real Spain, I go hunting for the rude, ridiculous and downright outrageous details hidden in Spanish architecture. We start at La Lonja de la Seda in Valencia, where medieval gargoyles include dragons, monsters, grotesques… and one particularly memorable gentleman who is rather enthusiastically holding his own dinky doo!
And he's not...
The 87-Year-Old Spanish Woman Evicted From Her Home: What Really Happened?
In this episode of Spanish Practices, I look beyond the shocking images to ask what actually happened. Why did Maricarmen lose her tenancy? Was she offered alternative accommodation? Who is Urbagestión, the company behind the property? Were the police and social services right to proceed as they did? And what does being forced from the home you've known for more than seven decades do to an elderly person?
But Maricarmen's story is also part of something much bigger: Spain's housing crisis. Rents have surged, affordable housing is desperately scarce and the gap between wages and housing co...
Why Spain No Longer Wants Party-Going Brits Real Life, Real Spain.
Is Spain falling out of love with the British tourist? From Magaluf and Ibiza to Benidorm, Spain is changing the way it deals with drunken party tourism.
I'm going to take a look at the crackdown on excessive drinking, pub crawls and all-inclusive booze holidays — and ask whether Spain now wants fewer tourists spending more, rather than millions arriving for cheap beer and sunshine.
With personal stories from life on the Costa Tropical, the reality of mass tourism, overflowing bins, blocked sewers and even the arrival of the Ratadonna Supermarket.
I think Spain is...
Casual Cruelty in Spain - Dogs, Birds and Bullfighting - Real Life, Real Spain.
Casual Cruelty in Spain - Dogs, Birds and Bullfighting
Eight puppies in a rubbish bin. A dog abandoned on a piece of string. Birds shot for sport and a little rescue dog called Skippy who survived unimaginable abuse. In this unsettling episode of Spanish Practices, I ask why casual cruelty to animals still exists in Spain — and whether attitudes are finally changing.
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Bloody Foreigners: The Migration & Economic Growth in Spain in 2026 Real Life - Real Spain
Spain's economy is booming in 2026 — and foreign workers are playing a surprisingly big role.
Why are migrants filling jobs, paying taxes and helping drive economic growth — and what does it mean for Spain's future?
From immigration and employment to Spanish schools, education and the future of our children, I will ask and try to answer a really tough question...whether Spain can turn today's growth into tomorrow's prosperity?
Are You Living in Spain… or Just Living in a Little Britain? Real Life, Real Spain, Andalusia
Am I really living in Spain — or have I simply created a little Britain in the sunshine?
In this episode, I'll explore what integration really means, from language and Spanish culture to friendship, acceptance and belonging.
I'll ask why so many expats stay inside familiar British bubbles — and whether that can quietly limit our happiness and wellbeing.
I'll also look at the reality of being an outsider, accepting that Spain will sometimes frustrate us, and finding peace with the things we may never fully understand.
Because moving to Spain isn't just a ch...
Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition… in America! 🇪🇸🇺🇸 Real Life in Spain Andalusia
Think the Spanish Inquisition was something that happened in a dark corner of old Europe? Think again. Spain's infamous religious police crossed the Atlantic — and its reach extended into territories that are now part of the United States.
In Episode 204, I uncover the surprisingly American story of the Inquisition: the denunciations, secret accusations, torture, confiscated fortunes and spectacular public punishments — and discover what it was actually doing in places like Florida, California and New Mexico.
And yes, there's even a Monty Python connection.
The Spanish Inquisition came to America. Nobody expected that.
Moving to Spain? Let AI Do Your Homework - Real Life, Andalusia
Moving to Spain? Don't buy that dream home just yet! 🇪🇸
Could AI save you from making an expensive mistake when buying property in Spain? John Metson discovers how AI can investigate Spanish estate agents, solicitors, directors, reviews, town halls, local news, planning issues and even the Spanish bureaucracy.
But there's a catch: AI can be spectacularly wrong.
So how do you use AI for Spanish property research and due diligence without getting fooled by the machine — or the estate agent?
Before you send that deposit, let AI do your homework.
A quic...
The Rescue Donkeys Fighting Spain's Wildfires - Real Life in Spain, Andalusia
🔥 Could a donkey help save your Spanish home from a wildfire?
Spain is facing a new generation of wildfires — hotter, faster and increasingly impossible to fight in the traditional way. So what happens when climate change, abandoned countryside and 40°C+ summers collide?
And if you're dreaming of buying a home in Spain, should any of this change your plans?
In this episode of Spanish Practices, I'll take a look at Spain's terrifying new era of mega-fires, why some fires are now creating their own weather, and the surprising return of an old Spanish hero...
Ceuta is Burning — but should it change your decision to buy a home in Spain? #201
In this special report, we look at the escalating crisis in Ceuta, the conflicting reports over how many migrants remain, violence on the beaches, people-smuggling boats, Spain's €25 million response, the planned Ceuta Day protests, and the complicated relationship between Spain and Morocco.
But what does any of this mean if you're thinking about buying property in Spain?
Why Americans Get Spain Completely Wrong
Thinking of leaving America for the perfect life in Spain? Cheap healthcare, endless sunshine, affordable living and a slower pace of life? Think again.
After nearly ten years living in Spain, I will reveal the reality behind the romantic Spanish dream — from 230-volt disasters and language barriers to nudist beaches, Spanish bureaucracy, healthcare, shopping, customer service and a very different attitude to life.
Spain can be wonderful. But it isn't America with tapas and better weather.
Before you move to Spain, listen to this.
AI disclosure: none used
What's That Smell? The Peculiar World of Spanish Plumbing
Why Does My Spanish Bathroom Smell? The Plumbing Mystery Explained
There comes a moment when you realise you've properly moved to Spain.
It's not your first fiesta. It's not ordering a café con leche in Spanish. It's standing in your beautifully clean bathroom, sniffing suspiciously and asking:
"Why does that smell of drains?"
Welcome to the peculiar world of Spanish plumbing.
In this episode of Spanish Practices, I go beneath the tiles to investigate one of those little differences about living in Spain that nobody thinks to mention before y...
Can You Really Live Rent-Free in Spain in a Motorhome?
Live Rent-Free in Spain? The Motorhome Loophole That Isn't
Buy a motorhome. Drive to Spain. Park beside the Mediterranean. Open the door, make a coffee and congratulate yourself on discovering the ultimate way to live in Spain without paying rent.
Simple.
Except Spain may have a few questions.
Motorhome and campervan living is booming, fuelled by rising property prices, scarce rental accommodation and the irresistible idea of swapping the mortgage for a home on wheels.
But can you really just park somewhere beautiful and… live there?
In th...
Want to Live in Spain? The Digital Nomad Visa Could Be Your Ticket
Spain Wants Digital Nomads – But Is It Really That Simple?
Imagine swapping the commute for a laptop overlooking the Mediterranean. Spain has become one of the world's most attractive destinations for remote workers — and its Digital Nomad Visa offers non-EU professionals a legal route to actually live here while working abroad.
But before you pack the laptop and sunglasses, there's rather more to it than sunshine and fast broadband.
In this episode of Spanish Practices, I look at how Spain's Digital Nomad Visa works, who can apply, the income requirements, bringing your family and...
Goats, Romans & the Spanish Inquisition: Spain in 10 Minutes
Three thousand years of Spanish history. Ten minutes. What could possibly go wrong?
In this episode of Spanish Practices, I'm attempting the almost certainly foolish task of explaining the history of Spain without drowning you in kings, dates or men with impressive facial hair pointing at maps.
Instead, we're following the ordinary people who didn't make history — they simply had to survive it.
Meet Tarek, an Iberian farmer from a town unfortunately called Arse, worrying about his goats in 500 BC. There's Lucius, a Roman laundryman cleaning togas with urine; Aisha, cast out from th...
Carry on Abroad - The Return of the Package Holiday - Real Life, Real Spain
OR - The Bikini That Changed Spain: How the Package Holiday Conquered the Costas!
OR - Bikinis, Benidorm & Brits Abroad: How Tourism Changed Spain
How did Spain go from a buttoned-up dictatorship suspicious of bikinis to one of the world's great holiday destinations — and have we now loved it a little too much?
In this summer repeat of Spanish Practices, I travel back to the birth of the great British package holiday, when guaranteed sunshine, cheap sangria and a week on the Costa suddenly became affordable to ordinary British families.
There's th...
Why Everyone in Spain Ends Up Loving Mercadona
Ever wondered why Mercadona is often called one of the most profitable supermarkets in the world? In this light-hearted episode of Spanish Practices, we explore its fascinating history—from a humble family butcher's shop in Valencia to a retail powerhouse across Spain.
We dive into how Mercadona has reinvented the supermarket experience with energy-efficient stores, hot takeaway food, and even places to sit and eat. Plus, we uncover the story behind the famously catchy Mercadona jingle (sí, that one stuck in your head) and the voice behind it.
Expect humour, insights into Spanish shopping culture, and pl...
Thunderbirds over Franco's Spain – When British TV Invaded Spain - ExPat life in Andalusia
What was it like watching television in Franco's Spain? In this episode of Spanish Practices – Real Life, Real Spain, John looks back at the early days of Spanish TV and the surprising influence of British favourites including Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet, The Avengers, The Prisoner and Doctor Who.
Plus, a personal encounter with Thunderbirds creator Gerry Anderson — and the day Lady Penelope and Parker turned up in a London radio studio.
A nostalgic and humorous journey through Spanish television, British TV in Spain and life in 1960s Spain.
THE SHOCKING BEEHIVE - Episode 5 - A Bolt from the Blue, The Finale - The Marlborough Court Mysteries
A glamorous London television presenter. A deadly accident. Or the perfect murder? Your holiday audiobook from Spanish Practices.
When a visit to the exclusive Lady Dorothy Boutique Hair Salon ends with a daytime television star being electrocuted, private detectives Horace Finch and Violet Hart are drawn behind the bright lights of Metrovision, London's weekday television station.
Ruled by the charming cigar smoking Lord Arthur, Metrovision is a world of soaring egos, ruthless ambition and carefully guarded secrets. As the suspects multiply, Finch and Hart discover that everyone is performing a role... and someone is prepared to ki...
THE SHOCKING BEEHIVE - Episode 4 - Short Back and Sides - The Marlborough Court Mysteries
A glamorous London television presenter. A deadly accident. Or the perfect murder? Your holiday audiobook from Spanish Practices.
When a visit to the exclusive Lady Dorothy Boutique Hair Salon ends with a daytime television star being electrocuted, private detectives Horace Finch and Violet Hart are drawn behind the bright lights of Metrovision, London's weekday television station.
Ruled by the charming cigar smoking Lord Arthur, Metrovision is a world of soaring egos, ruthless ambition and carefully guarded secrets. As the suspects multiply, Finch and Hart discover that everyone is performing a role... and someone is prepared to ki...
THE SHOCKING BEEHIVE - Episode 3 - The Blue Nun - The Marlborough Court Mysteries
A glamorous London television presenter. A deadly accident. Or the perfect murder? Your holiday audiobook from Spanish Practices.
When a visit to the exclusive Lady Dorothy Boutique Hair Salon ends with a daytime television star being electrocuted, private detectives Horace Finch and Violet Hart are drawn behind the bright lights of Metrovision, London's weekday television station.
Ruled by the charming cigar smoking Lord Arthur, Metrovision is a world of soaring egos, ruthless ambition and carefully guarded secrets. As the suspects multiply, Finch and Hart discover that everyone is performing a role... and someone is prepared to ki...
THE SHOCKING BEEHIVE - Episode 2 - Have You Tried Radio? - The Marlborough Court Mysteries
A glamorous London television presenter. A deadly accident. Or the perfect murder? Your holiday audiobook from Spanish Practices.
When a visit to the exclusive Lady Dorothy Boutique Hair Salon ends with a daytime television star being electrocuted, private detectives Horace Finch and Violet Hart are drawn behind the bright lights of Metrovision, London's weekday television station.
Ruled by the charming cigar smoking Lord Arthur, Metrovision is a world of soaring egos, ruthless ambition and carefully guarded secrets. As the suspects multiply, Finch and Hart discover that everyone is performing a role... and someone is prepared to ki...
THE SHOCKING BEEHIVE - Episode 1 - Miss Helena Hart! - The Marlborough Court Mysteries
A glamorous London television presenter. A deadly accident. Or the perfect murder? Your holiday audiobook from Spanish Practices.
When a visit to the exclusive Lady Dorothy Boutique Hair Salon ends with a daytime television star being electrocuted, private detectives Horace Finch and Violet Hart are drawn behind the bright lights of Metrovision, London's weekday television station.
Ruled by the charming cigar smoking Lord Arthur, Metrovision is a world of soaring egos, ruthless ambition and carefully guarded secrets. As the suspects multiply, Finch and Hart discover that everyone is performing a role... and someone is prepared...
The Gruesome Prisons of Franco's Spain
What was life really like inside Franco's Spanish prisons?
As Busman's Holiday reached its dramatic conclusion, we step away from the beaches of the Costa del Sol and behind the walls of one of the darkest chapters in modern Spanish history.
In this special episode of Spanish Practices, we explore the harsh reality of Spanish prisons under General Franco's dictatorship. Discover how political prisoners and ordinary criminals were treated, the role of the Catholic Church inside the prison system, the brutal interrogation methods reported by former detainees, and the terrifying reality of facing the death...
THE BUSMAN'S HOLIDAY - Episode 5 - the Finale
Spanish Practices is taking a short summer break, so enjoy another FREE audiobook from The Marlborough Court Mysteries.
In Busman's Holiday, Horace Finch, Violet Hart and Leslie Brown swap London's fog for the sunshine of Spain when a seemingly ordinary package holiday to Torremolinos takes an unexpected turn. Beneath the glamour of the Costa del Sol, espionage, murder and Anglo-Spanish secrets await, leading the trio from bustling beach resorts to the shadow of the Rock of Gibraltar.
Perfect for fans of classic British mysteries, 1960s travel nostalgia, vintage Spain and intelligent detective adventures.
Can H...
THE BUSMAN'S HOLIDAY - Episode 4 - A Bus Tale
Spanish Practices is taking a short summer break, so enjoy another FREE audiobook from The Marlborough Court Mysteries.
In Busman's Holiday, Horace Finch, Violet Hart and Leslie Brown swap London's fog for the sunshine of Spain when a seemingly ordinary package holiday to Torremolinos takes an unexpected turn. Beneath the glamour of the Costa del Sol, espionage, murder and Anglo-Spanish secrets await, leading the trio from bustling beach resorts to the shadow of the Rock of Gibraltar.
Perfect for fans of classic British mysteries, 1960s travel nostalgia, vintage Spain and intelligent detective adventures.
Can H...
THE BUSMAN'S HOLIDAY - Episode 3 - Liar Liar
Spanish Practices is taking a short summer break, so enjoy another FREE audiobook from The Marlborough Court Mysteries.
In Busman's Holiday, Horace Finch, Violet Hart and Leslie Brown swap London's fog for the sunshine of Spain when a seemingly ordinary package holiday to Torremolinos takes an unexpected turn. Beneath the glamour of the Costa del Sol, espionage, murder and Anglo-Spanish secrets await, leading the trio from bustling beach resorts to the shadow of the Rock of Gibraltar.
Perfect for fans of classic British mysteries, 1960s travel nostalgia, vintage Spain and intelligent detective adventures.
Can H...
THE BUSMAN'S HOLIDAY - Episode 2 - The Mijas Drop
Spanish Practices is taking a short summer break, so enjoy another FREE audiobook from The Marlborough Court Mysteries.
In Busman's Holiday, Horace Finch, Violet Hart and Leslie Brown swap London's fog for the sunshine of Spain when a seemingly ordinary package holiday to Torremolinos takes an unexpected turn. Beneath the glamour of the Costa del Sol, espionage, murder and Anglo-Spanish secrets await, leading the trio from bustling beach resorts to the shadow of the Rock of Gibraltar.
Perfect for fans of classic British mysteries, 1960s travel nostalgia, vintage Spain and intelligent detective adventures.
Can H...
THE BUSMAN'S HOLIDAY - Episode 1 - Sun Sea and Sir Basil
Spanish Practices is taking a short summer break, so enjoy another FREE audiobook from The Marlborough Court Mysteries.
In Busman's Holiday, Horace Finch, Violet Hart and Leslie Brown swap London's fog for the sunshine of Spain when a seemingly ordinary package holiday to Torremolinos takes an unexpected turn. Beneath the glamour of the Costa del Sol, espionage, murder and Anglo-Spanish secrets await, leading the trio from bustling beach resorts to the shadow of the Rock of Gibraltar.
Perfect for fans of classic British mysteries, 1960s travel nostalgia, vintage Spain and intelligent detective adventures.
...
Package Holidays, then and now! ExPat life in Spain Andalusia
Let me take you back sixty years to some of the first Package Holiday's to Spain, Malaga airport is nothing more than a terracotta roofed whitewashed building a rusty Pegaso coach takes you to your hotel, your bed is weirdly firm and breakfast is just coffe, rolls and jam. So much has changed. This is an introduction to another FREE Audiobook, while we take a little break, maybe walk across the non-existent border to Gibralter and get a meal deal from Morrisons.
This story is called Busman's Holiday and it starts this Wednesday for five sizzling episodes.
DEAD AIR - Episode 5 - The Finale
Spanish Practices is taking a short summer break, so enjoy another FREE audiobook from The Marlborough Court Mysteries.
In Dead Air, Horace Finch investigates murder, payola and pirate radio in swinging 1960s Britain. As Radio Rebecca battles to stay on air, a firebomb attack, a suspicious death and a chart record with a hidden secret lead Finch into one of his most dangerous investigations yet.
Perfect for fans of classic British mysteries, vintage broadcasting and 1960s nostalgia.
DEAD AIR - Episode 4 - Roll Out The Barrel
Spanish Practices is taking a short summer break, so enjoy another FREE audiobook from The Marlborough Court Mysteries.
In Dead Air, Horace Finch investigates murder, payola and pirate radio in swinging 1960s Britain. As Radio Rebecca battles to stay on air, a firebomb attack, a suspicious death and a chart record with a hidden secret lead Finch into one of his most dangerous investigations yet.
Perfect for fans of classic British mysteries, vintage broadcasting and 1960s nostalgia.
DEAD AIR - Episode 3 - A Tender Moment
Spanish Practices is taking a short summer break, so enjoy another FREE audiobook from The Marlborough Court Mysteries.
In Dead Air, Horace Finch investigates murder, payola and pirate radio in swinging 1960s Britain. As Radio Rebecca battles to stay on air, a firebomb attack, a suspicious death and a chart record with a hidden secret lead Finch into one of his most dangerous investigations yet.
Perfect for fans of classic British mysteries, vintage broadcasting and 1960s nostalgia.
DEAD AIR - Episode 2 - You Hurt Me!
Spanish Practices is taking a short summer break, so enjoy another FREE audiobook from The Marlborough Court Mysteries.
In Dead Air, Horace Finch investigates murder, payola and pirate radio in swinging 1960s Britain. As Radio Rebecca battles to stay on air, a firebomb attack, a suspicious death and a chart record with a hidden secret lead Finch into one of his most dangerous investigations yet.
Perfect for fans of classic British mysteries, vintage broadcasting and 1960s nostalgia.
DEAD AIR - Episode 1 - Tulipa from Amsterdam
Spanish Practices is taking a short summer break, so enjoy another FREE audiobook from The Marlborough Court Mysteries.
In Dead Air, Horace Finch investigates murder, payola and pirate radio in swinging 1960s Britain. As Radio Rebecca battles to stay on air, a firebomb attack, a suspicious death and a chart record with a hidden secret lead Finch into one of his most dangerous investigations yet.
Perfect for fans of classic British mysteries, vintage broadcasting and 1960s nostalgia.
DEAD AIR - The Prologue
Spanish Practices is taking a short summer break, so enjoy another FREE audiobook from The Marlborough Court Mysteries.
In Dead Air, Horace Finch investigates murder, payola and pirate radio in swinging 1960s Britain. As Radio Rebecca battles to stay on air, a firebomb attack, a suspicious death and a chart record with a hidden secret lead Finch into one of his most dangerous investigations yet.
Perfect for fans of classic British mysteries, vintage broadcasting and 1960s nostalgia.
© 2026 Creative Radio Partnership Ltd. All rights reserved. The Marlborough Court Mysteries and all associated characters, stories a...
The Vicar's Last Confession Episode 5 - The Finale
Spanish Practices is taking a short summer break... but I didn't want to leave you without something to enjoy!
So, for the next few weeks, I'm giving you a FREE audiobook – The Marlborough Court Mysteries. Join former Scotland Yard detective Horace Finch as he investigates a baffling murder beneath the streets of 1960s London in The Vicar's Last Confession. Expect classic British detective storytelling, Cold War intrigue, hidden conspiracies and plenty of Swinging Sixties atmosphere.
Perfect listening by the pool, on the beach, or wherever your Spanish summer takes you. Normal Spanish Practices returns after the summe
The Vicar's Last Confession Episode 4
Spanish Practices is taking a short summer break... but I didn't want to leave you without something to enjoy!
So, for the next few weeks, I'm giving you a FREE audiobook – The Marlborough Court Mysteries. Join former Scotland Yard detective Horace Finch as he investigates a baffling murder beneath the streets of 1960s London in The Vicar's Last Confession. Expect classic British detective storytelling, Cold War intrigue, hidden conspiracies and plenty of Swinging Sixties atmosphere.
Perfect listening by the pool, on the beach, or wherever your Spanish summer takes you. Normal Spanish Practices returns after the summe
